Zhu Lian sensed a subtle change in Chen Ping’an after he cleverly used his sword to return to the plank road.

It was a profound and indescribable feeling.

Only after spending considerable time with Chen Ping’an could Zhu Lian perceive this delicate shift, akin to… a gentle breeze rippling across a still pond.

Chen Ping’an told Pei Qian, who had been waiting for most of the day, to go to sleep. Uncharacteristically, he then invited Zhu Lian to drink with him. The two sat cross-legged on the cliff outside the plank road. Zhu Lian smiled and asked, “Young Master seems pleased? Is it because the feeling of soaring through the sky on a sword is so exhilarating?”

Chen Ping’an countered, “Do you remember Cao Ci?”

Zhu Lian chuckled, “How could this old servant forget that name? On the Great Wall of Sword Qi, Young Master suffered three defeats. Anyone capable of making Young Master accept defeat so readily, this old servant wishes he could meet them tomorrow, just to punch them to death, so they won’t contend with Young Master for the martial destiny of the world, delaying Young Master’s ascent to the legendary eleventh realm, the Martial God realm.”

Chen Ping’an ignored Zhu Lian’s flattery and jest, taking a leisurely sip of wine. “I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but Cao Ci may have broken through again.”

Zhu Lian asked, puzzled, “Then why is Young Master happy? The seat of ‘Number One Under Heaven’ can’t accommodate two bottoms. Of course, it’s still too early for Young Master and Cao Ci to be discussing that.”

Chen Ping’an took another small sip of the old jiaolong coveted wine from his gourd, and asked, “What do you say we pure martial artists, training our fists and learning martial arts, are striving for?”

Zhu Lian smiled. “Naturally, it’s to attain great liberation, great freedom. To be able to accomplish whatever we desire, and to be able to say ‘no’ to whatever we don’t want to do. Every Number One Under Heaven in Lotus Flower Paradise, although their individual pursuits might differ, they all converge on that grand objective. Sui Youbian, Lu Baixiang, Wei Xian, and even I, Zhu Lian, are the same. It’s just that Lotus Flower Paradise is a small place after all, and no one feels any deep connection to immortality. Even those of us who have reached the pinnacle don’t give it much thought, because we were never aware of a ‘heavenly realm’. The Great Canopy World is far superior to us. Seeking immortality, that’s something that Wei Xian pursued the furthest, being an emperor and all. He had his subjects and people shouting ‘ten thousand years’ so much, he must have started dreaming of living for ten thousand years himself.”

Chen Ping’an pointed to himself. “I didn’t tell you much about what happened in my earlier years. I started practicing martial arts because my Bridge of Longevity was broken, and I had to rely on training my fists to prolong my life. So I persevered. Then, according to the agreement, I carried the sword crafted by Ruan Qiong to Upside-Down Mountain, to deliver it to Miss Ning. After I walked a very, very long way, and finally reached Upside-Down Mountain, and was about to complete a million punches, at that time, deep down I naturally had some doubts. Now that I no longer needed to practice martial arts to stay alive, and I, Chen Ping’an, am not the kind of person who likes to compete for first place in everything, what should I do next?”

“Should I become the next Zhu He? Not difficult. Or the next Song Yushao of Combing Willow Country? Not too difficult either. Or should I just bury myself in another million punches, and hope for a glimpse of the Golden Body Realm martial artist’s grandeur? You know, back then I was on the Great Wall of Sword Qi, the place with the most sword cultivators under the heavens. Where I lived, just a few steps away, in a thatched hut, lived an old sword immortal, the most senior on the Great Wall of Sword Qi. Under my feet were words carved by the Old Master Sword Immortal, and also words carved by Aliang. Do you think I wouldn’t have wanted to switch to sword cultivation? I wanted to very much.”

“So, at the time, I was so eager to rebuild my Bridge of Longevity, and even thought, since it’s not good to focus on too many things at once, should I simply give up practicing martial arts and try my best to become a sword cultivator, nurturing a natal flying sword, and eventually becoming a true sword immortal? A Great Sword Immortal? I wanted to very much, but I didn’t dare say these words to Miss Ning, afraid she would think I wasn’t a dedicated person, treating martial arts like this, something I could just throw away, so would I treat her the same?”

Zhu Lian took a large gulp of wine. “This old servant met Young Master too late, and missed Young Master’s youthful woes, which may never happen again. I must drink some wine to wash away the regret in my heart.”

Chen Ping’an raised his head, embraced the gourd, and gently patted it, laughing, “At that time, I met Cao Ci. So I am very grateful to him, but I am too embarrassed to say it.”

Chen Ping’an once again pointed to himself, and then pointed to the high mountain cliff opposite the plank road. “Cao Ci might be over there. I am far behind. Although I don’t deliberately pursue being number one in martial arts, I’m not stupid. Who enjoys being number one? Of course, I want to be number one, but I’m just… willing to be slower. Like when I was walking the railings in the Zi Yang Mansion treasure vault, I was pondering the word ‘slow’, and understood many things. If you trace it back to when I was learning to pull clay as a dragon kiln apprentice, I was already exposed to this word. Old Yao thought I had no talent, and was never willing to teach me principles, and even didn’t like to talk to me. But at that time, I regarded firing the kiln as the foundation for my future survival. What could I do? Old Yao wouldn’t teach, so I always eavesdropped on his conversations with Liu Xianyang and other apprentices. Old Yao told them that you must steady your mind, so your hands can be steady, so you can go from slow but without mistakes, to fast and accurate. Logically speaking, it seems like I should have known this principle early on, right? I should remember it well, right? But it’s still not true. Only after I have walked a long way, seen many people, will many principles that don’t have legs of their own, as the Lord of Mao Mountain said, settle in my heart, and only then will those principles truly become my own.”

“When Cao Ci appeared, I knew that among my peers, there wasn’t only Ma Kuxuan, there could also be Cao Ci. No matter how dazzling Cao Ci was, I wouldn’t hate him, I wouldn’t be jealous of Cao Ci. At most, I would just feel a little lost. In the presence of the girl I love, in front of her, losing three times to someone else, of course I would feel a little unhappy in my heart. So at that time, I made up my mind that one day, no matter how high Cao Ci’s martial arts realm is in the future, no matter what outsiders say about him being an unprecedented and unmatched martial arts prodigy, I will strive to make him lose three times in a row!”

Chen Ping’an’s expression was calm, his eyes shining. “Only in fist techniques!”

Zhu Lian slapped his thigh. “Magnificent! Young Master’s ambition, how lofty!”

Chen Ping’an patted the gourd, looking at the opposite cliff, smiling. “I’m just talking drunk.”
Zhu Lian always considered himself to have a keen understanding of the finer things in life and a knack for avoiding awkwardness. A newly brewed jar of wine should be properly sealed and aged before being opened for a taste. There was no point in rushing to uncork it for a mere sniff. Therefore, Zhu Lian deftly steered the conversation. “Young Master seems to be troubled by something on this journey?”

Chen Pingan nodded. “You’ve been keeping an eye on the state of affairs in Dali. So it’s not surprising that even though the National Preceptor, Embroidered Tiger, is busy elsewhere laying out his grand strategies, Cui Dongshan would appear at the Cliff Academy.”

Zhu Lian asked, “The supernatural abilities of the Upper Five Realms are beyond comprehension. Isn’t it common to separate the soul? We have Shijou right here, living in the remnants of an immortal.”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “Cui Chan and Cui Dongshan are already two separate individuals, walking on different paths. So, how do you think two people with the same heart and nature should interact in the future?”

Zhu Lian chuckled. “Knowing Cui Dongshan’s temperament, he would never bow his head to anyone except you, Young Master. Not even… himself.”

Chen Pingan murmured, “Then how would the one who laid out the Colorful Cloud Spectrum play chess against himself?”

Zhu Lian began to frown, his expression turning serious as he looked at Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan nodded. “I suspect that I am the chessboard. They may have started playing chess from the moment we arrived at Old Dragon City.”

Chen Pingan extended a finger and drew an intersecting horizontal and vertical line. “Each intersection, be it a large one like the Azure Phoenix Kingdom or the Cliff Academy, or a small one like the Lion Garden, any Immortal Ferry heading to Great Sui, or even the Ziyang Prefecture we recently passed, could all be part of it.”

Zhu Lian asked, “Cui Dongshan wouldn’t be trying to harm you, would he?”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “He has been trying his best to help me. There’s no need to doubt that.”

Zhu Lian couldn’t help but stand up, his figure hunched over as he said in a deep voice, “This is no small matter!”

Chen Pingan remained seated, gently shaking his Sword-Nurturing Gourd. “Of course, it’s not a small matter. But it’s alright. I’ve navigated even greater schemes and more intricate chess games.”

Zhu Lian paced slowly, rubbing his palms together. “I need to think this through carefully.”

Chen Pingan reassured him, “Don’t worry. It won’t involve life or death. So, it won’t be a brutal battle to the death, nor will it be a desperate situation like Du Mao suddenly appearing in Old Dragon City.”

Zhu Lian thought for a moment, his brow furrowed in worry. “That makes it even trickier. Doesn’t that mean this old servant can’t be of any help at all? Am I just supposed to stand by and watch? That would suffocate me.”

Chen Pingan looked at the cliff across from him, straightened his back, and clasped his hands behind his head. “Never mind. We’ll take it one step at a time. There’s no reason to be afraid of going home!”

Zhu Lian looked at Chen Pingan’s profile. “Take each day as it comes? Young Master has a big heart.”

Chen Pingan sighed without warning. “Knowing too much can sometimes make the heart waver.”

Chen Pingan bent down, placing his palms together with the Sword-Nurturing Gourd between them. “The vertical and horizontal lines on a chessboard are rules, fixed and rigid. But the world will twist those straight lines, and some people’s lines in their hearts might even become crooked circles. That’s what they call rationalization. That’s why there are so many people who have read countless books but still act unreasonably. Many people talk to themselves and still live well, because they can still find peace and stability. In fact, they might have fewer constraints than those who abide by the rules. They can live according to their hearts, and as for how to make it seem reasonable, to make themselves feel more at ease, or to cover up their actions and live better, they can just borrow a few words from the Three Teachings and the Hundred Schools. It’s not difficult at all.”

Zhu Lian sighed deeply.

Sitting back down beside Chen Pingan, Zhu Lian placed his fists on his knees, the hunched and gaunt old man feeling somewhat melancholic.

These heartfelt words, if Chen Pingan were to share them with Sui Youbian, Wei Xian, or Lu Baixiang, they likely wouldn’t be as deeply moved. Sui Youbian’s Sword Heart was clear and focused on the sword, Wei Xian was a battlefield commander sitting on the Dragon Throne, and Lu Baixiang was the founder of the Demonic Sect in Lotus Flower Paradise. It was actually more… interesting to share them with Zhu Lian.

Zhu Lian seemed carefree, treating everything, big or small, as a trifle, never lingering in his heart. But Zhu Lian was the one among the four who had witnessed the most of humanity’s myriad forms in Lotus Flower Paradise.

Born into a noble family that had produced generations of officials, he knew the true taste of wealth and had seen emperors, generals, and ministers up close. He had exceptional martial arts talent from a young age and quickly surpassed everyone in the martial arts path. Yet, he still followed his family’s wishes and participated in the imperial examinations, easily achieving second place. It was only because a senior official, a close family friend who served as his examiner, deliberately pushed Zhu Lian’s ranking down. Otherwise, he would have been the top scholar or at least the second-place holder. At that time, Zhu Lian was the most renowned talent in the capital. A mere ink painting, an essay, or a spring outing would make countless aristocratic women’s hearts flutter. However, Zhu Lian served as a leisurely official for a few years, then found an excuse to travel ten thousand miles alone, in reality, enjoying the scenery. He brushed off the dust and went to the martial world.

Wandering, a free-spirited young nobleman inexplicably became the number one person in the world and, incidentally, the unfulfilled love interest of countless martial immortals and heroines.

Later, as countries fought and the land was shattered, Zhu Lian withdrew from the martial world and returned to his family, throwing himself into battle. He became an unexpectedly brilliant general. During his six years of military service, Zhu Lian relied solely on strategy, not martial arts, to turn the tide and prop up a collapsing empire for many years. However, due to the inevitable trend, even after Zhu Lian devoted himself to assisting a prince for several years and personally oversaw government affairs, he still could not change the fate of the dynasty. Zhu Lian eventually settled his family and returned to the martial world once more, always alone.

According to Zhu Lian himself, in his forties and fifties, he was still dashing and suave, carrying the mature charm of an aged wine, and still the “Zhu Lang” in the hearts of countless young maidens.

Chen Pingan said, “Next, we’ll pass by a mansion haunted by a female ghost, with a plaque that says ‘Tall Mountains and Beautiful Waters.’ I plan to only take you with me, and have Shi Rou lead Pei Qian around that mountain and go directly to a place called Red Candle Town to wait for us.”
Zhu Lian was eager to try, smiling as he asked, “Hmm, Young Master mentioned this before, but didn’t go into detail. From the sound of it, it’s dangerous, but not life-threatening, right?”

Chen Pingan nodded, “There’s a woman in a wedding dress ghost living in that mansion. We had a little run-in with her back when Baoping and I passed by, so I thought we should settle things.”

Zhu Lian suddenly understood, “No wonder Young Master has been asking Shi Rou about the innate spells of Yin creatures and ghosts in such detail lately, and kept stopping to rest, all to build up his spirit and write so many yellow paper talismans.”

Chen Pingan suddenly raised his hand, “Silence.”

Zhu Lian was crestfallen. As expected of his Young Master, he knew him too well.

Last time, he couldn’t pry the appearance of the wedding dress ghost from Young Master’s lips – was she beautiful or ugly, fat or thin? Zhu Lian had been itching to know.

After all, in Lotus Flower Blessed Land, no alluring female ghost who made her home in a tomb had ever admired him. Now that he was in the Vast World, how could he miss the opportunity?

However, the Water Goddess of White Heron River, like Shi Rou, one a deity, one a ghost, neither seemed to have taken a fancy to him. Zhu Lian rubbed his chin, resentfully muttering, “What is it with the women here? Whether ghost or god, do they all judge a book by its cover?”

Chen Pingan picked up his sword-nurturing gourd, “Let’s have a drink.”

Zhu Lian glanced at the wine pot at his feet, his face falling, “Young Master, my wine pot is empty.”

Zhu Lian rubbed his hands together obsequiously, “Young Master, don’t worry about this old servant’s capacity! To use Pei Qian’s words, there’s no problem at all! One more pot is just enough to quench my thirst, two pots, a slight buzz, three pots, and I’ll be happy as a lark.”

Chen Pingan chuckled, opened his mouth wide, shook his head, and made a sucking sound, then turned around, a look of schadenfreude on his face, “Go drink the northwest wind then.”

Zhu Lian held back for a long time, deciding to act like a loyal minister offering fatal remonstrance, refusing to be a flattering traitor. With righteous indignation, he said, “Young Master, that joke wasn’t funny enough for this old servant to lick your boots.”

Chen Pingan’s heart stirred, and he took out a pot of wine from his miniature world, tossing it to Zhu Lian, asking, “Zhu Lian, what kind of person do you think I am?”

Zhu Lian caught the wine, without hesitation, “A good person.”

Chen Pingan smiled, “This wine wasn’t given to you in vain.”

Zhu Lian shook his head, “Even without this pot of wine, I would still say the same.”

Chen Pingan said to himself, “So I’m just a good person.”

Zhu Lian laughed heartily, “Young Master, just pretend I said something flattering again, don’t take it seriously. Drink up!”

An old man from a family of nobility and a young man from the slums didn’t really care about the difference between master and servant, slowly sipping fine wine on the cliffside.

Zhu Lian wiped his mouth, suddenly saying, “Young Master, shall I sing a song from my hometown for you?”

Chen Pingan nodded, “Sure.”

Zhu Lian quickly took a small sip of wine to moisten his throat, and then began to hum, shaking his head, in the official language of some long-lost dynasty of Lotus Flower Blessed Land.

Chen Pingan naturally didn’t understand, but Zhu Lian hummed with leisurely intoxication. Even without knowing the content, Chen Pingan still found it to be uniquely charming.

After Zhu Lian finished a verse, he asked, “Young Master, how was it?”

Chen Pingan nodded, “Not bad, not bad.”

Zhu Lian shook the wine pot with half a pot of wine left, “If Young Master could reward me with another pot, I’ll sing it in the official language of Great Li.”

Without another word, Chen Pingan directly tossed Zhu Lian a pot.

Zhu Lian placed the pot of wine aside, softly humming, “The spring night’s candlelight is like a person’s eyes, seeing that lady unfastening her buttons, slender fingers twirling the silk belt’s knot, snowy breasts stand tall like peaks, the belly soft and yielding, alas, the candlelight cannot see, the back is smooth, the waist is slender, hanging a large gourd, young lady, thinking of the faithless lover who has traveled far and has yet to return, her heart is like a startled deer, her heart is tied in a thousand knots… the lady twists her waist to look back at the double pillows, her hands covering her mountain peaks in sorrow, since every moment is worth a thousand gold, who will strive to earn ten thousand taels of silver?”

Zhu Lian stopped, took a drink of wine, feeling satisfied.

Chen Pingan asked, “Is that it?”

Zhu Lian was very surprised, staring blankly, “Young Master actually doesn’t have the urge to hit me?”

Chen Pingan scoffed, “I’ve walked so many paths through the world, I’ve seen the bigger picture. What’s this? Before, in that underground Dragon-Walking River, I rode a Xianjia ferry, the immortals above our heads, in the cabins above, fought day and night, hah.”

This was called belated realization. In truth, it was still thanks to Zhu Lian, and of course, the long river of time in Lotus Flower Blessed Land.

Zhu Lian asked, “Tell me about it, tell me about it?”

Chen Pingan smiled, “I could, but give me back that pot of wine first.”

Zhu Lian hesitated for a moment, handing the wine pot to Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan, after storing it in his miniature world, said, “Those were truly magnificent and tragic battles.”

Zhu Lian waited for a long time, but didn’t hear anything more, “That’s it?”

Chen Pingan stood up, “Or else?”

Zhu Lian quickly got up, following Chen Pingan, “Young Master, give me back my wine! Just those few pitiful words, saying them is the same as saying nothing, it’s not worth a pot of wine!”

Chen Pingan ignored Zhu Lian.

On the plank road, someone flipped over, walking upside down in the天地桩 stance.

Zhu Lian stood in place, feeling frustrated. He suddenly turned to look at Shi Rou, who was cultivating in Stillness Meditation. Zhu Lian grinned.

Shi Rou opened her eyes, angrily saying, “Get lost!”

Zhu Lian raised his hand, using orchid fingers, gently waving towards Shi Rou, “How annoying.”

Shi Rou felt disgusted.

Suddenly, after a fleeting glance, she was stunned.

It turned out that Zhu Lian pressed one finger against his temple, performing two actions, one tearing, one covering, with a moment of pause in between.

The old man tugged at the corner of his mouth at Shi Rou, then turned around, put his hands behind his back, and walked slowly, beginning to stroll alone in the night.

Leaving behind a once-glamorous skeleton ghost who looked like she had seen a ghost.

In the distance, Zhu Lian clicked his tongue, “No idea.”

After finishing the plank road, crossing the border between Southern Garden Kingdom and Great Li Dynasty, amidst magnificent mountains and lofty peaks, Chen Pingan and Zhu Lian walked on the mountain path.

Shi Rou had already taken Pei Qian on a detour, going along the Embroidered Flower River to Red Candle Town, where they would meet. However, Chen Pingan had Shi Rou carry Pei Qian and use her supernatural powers, so unsurprisingly, Shi Rou and Pei Qian would arrive at Red Candle Town sooner.
Chen Ping’an smiled, recounting an old tale. It was on this very mountain path that he had encountered a master and two disciples. A limping youth carried a tattered banner proclaiming “Exorcising Demons, Vanquishing Evil, Upholding the Righteous Path.” They ended up as fellow sufferers, captured by that vengeful spirit in a red wedding dress and taken to a mansion adorned with countless crimson lanterns. Fortunately, both sides emerged unscathed. Upon their parting, the impoverished Daoist priest had gifted him a family heirloom – a mountain-searching map. However, the trio had merely passed through Dragon Spring County and did not stay in the town. They had met with Miss Ruan Xiu at the shop in Riding Dragon Lane, before continuing north towards Great Li’s capital, hoping to try their luck there.

Deliberately choosing a twilight hour to ascend the mountain, Chen Ping’an stopped, surveying his surroundings, when he reached the ghost-afflicted mountain trail. All seemed normal.

Carrying the Sword Immortal and a bamboo case on his back, Chen Ping’an felt like at least half a scholar.

However, the vengeful spirit in a red wedding dress remained unmoved. This was to be expected. After Wei Jin of Wind and Snow Temple cleaved open the heavens with a single sword strike, and with the appearance of the heroic Xu Ruo, the vengeful spirit, having suffered a great loss, probably dared not casually harm passing scholars anymore.

Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment and said to Zhu Lian, “Go up high into the sky and see if you can spot that mansion. But I doubt it’s likely, there must be some illusion concealing it.”

Zhu Lian shot into the sky. An Outing Realm martial artist could travel freely in all directions.

After a moment, Zhu Lian returned to the small path, shaking his head. “Indeed, I can’t see it. It will require wasting two of Young Master’s talismans.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, taking out two talismans: a Yang Energy Lantern-Raising Talisman and a Mountain-River Barrier-Breaking Talisman, each held between his fingers. Both were drawn on yellow paper from the stack given by Li Xisheng.

He poured spiritual energy, accumulated from the golden literary star within his body’s qi palace, into the Yang Energy Lantern-Raising Talisman.

The flame was minuscule.

Chen Ping’an leapt onto the branches of the forest, circling around and carefully observing the burning speed and flame size of the lantern-raising talisman on his fingertip. Finally, he pinpointed a general direction.

Relying on the guidance of the lantern-raising talisman, he would seek out the mansion’s mountain-river barrier, just as a mortal teacher would carry a lantern at night, using its light to illuminate the path.

Finally, Chen Ping’an arrived before a mountain wall. The flame suddenly burst open. Chen Ping’an flicked his wrist, pouring spiritual energy into the core of the Mountain-River Barrier-Breaking Talisman, causing it to emit a brilliant light. Chen Ping’an stuck the talisman onto the mountain wall, and the scene before him changed dramatically. The mountain wall melted away like snow meeting fire, rapidly revealing a hole the size of a palm. Through the hole, he could already see a chillingly gloomy mountain valley path, constantly emitting Yin energy.

As the Mountain-River Barrier-Breaking Talisman neared its end, the hole had grown to the size of a courtyard gate. Chen Ping’an and Zhu Lian stepped through it.

Within the mountain hollow, where ancient trees reached for the sky, Chen Ping’an still held the mostly consumed Yang Energy Lantern-Raising Talisman, leading Zhu Lian forward with a swift movement.

Zhu Lian followed close behind Chen Ping’an, his feet barely touching the ground.

Chen Ping’an had not gone into detail about his feud with the vengeful spirit in a red wedding dress.

But Zhu Lian had never seen such genuine and determined persistence in Chen Ping’an regarding any “small matter.”

To meet that vengeful spirit, Chen Ping’an had made many prior arrangements and preparations. Zhu Lian had experienced the events in Old Dragon City with Chen Ping’an, and felt that Chen Ping’an was also cautious and meticulous in the Dusty Elixir Shop, weighing every detail. But these were similar, yet not entirely the same. It was as if Chen Ping’an had been waiting for this day for a long time. When this day truly arrived, Chen Ping’an’s state of mind was rather strange, like… Zhu Lian’s monkey-shaped fist stance, collapsing and contracting before a major battle, rather than the soaring spirit and unrestrained release of fist intent of an ordinary, pure martial artist.

The burning of the Yang Energy Lantern-Raising Talisman quickened, until the last bit of ash floated down.

Finally, the two stood in a plaza, before the majestic mansion with the plaque that read “Elegant Scenery, High Ideals” like a fairy wielding a brush, hanging above them. Two enormous stone lions guarded the entrance.

Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes, looking up at the plaque.

A vengeful spirit in a bright red wedding dress had once floated there.

She was infatuated, she had once been a kind spirit, and she always had her own reasons.

It was said that a scholar walking along the mountain road at night, loudly reciting the poems of sages to embolden himself, had caught her eye.

A scholar and a female ghost, separated by Yin and Yang, yet still loved each other deeply. She was still willing to wear that red wedding dress.

Chen Ping’an twitched the corner of his mouth.

Reason does not discriminate between near and far, this was what Chen Ping’an himself had said.

If you are unreasonable, do as you please, live as you wish, and make your life better. That is the path you choose. But if one day you encounter someone who is reasonable and has a stronger fist than you, then hope for a better rebirth in your next life. This was also said by Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an…

Zhu Lian couldn’t help but turn his head.

Even Zhu Lian, this Outing Realm martial artist, felt an unusual aura emanating from Chen Ping’an.

Was this the aura of a pure martial artist at the Great Perfection of the Fifth Realm?

Like a bright moon rising into the sky.

But this was nothing compared to what was to come. Compared to something still within the scope of martial arts, Zhu Lian was even more shocked by the manifestation of Chen Ping’an’s state of mind and aura.

That round moon was like a dragon holding a precious pearl.